Dardenne Prairie, MO

DUI Attorney Near Me Dardenne Prairie, MO

DUI attorney near me in Dardenne Prairie, MO. No one enjoys being arrested, but it is important to understand that driving under the influence in Dardenne Prairie is treated as a serious offense in Missouri court. Regardless of the details of your situation, when you are facing a conviction for driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, find an attorney you can trust to protect your rights and your future.

You deserve quality legal representation from an attorney who knows their way around DUI cases in Dardenne Prairie and Missouri. Depending on the details of your case, an astute DUI attorney near Dardenne Prairie, MO may be able to get the charges dropped, have the charges reduced to lesser offenses, lead your case to trial to fight the conviction or work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Most importantly, they will use the law to your benefit and guide you through all legal proceedings for your Dardenne Prairie, MO DUI case. For dedicated, aggressive defense against injustice after being accused of driving under the influence, call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP.

What is a DUI in Dardenne Prairie, MO?

Commonly referred to as a DUI (which stands for driving under the influence, the offense is actually referred to a DWI (driving while intoxicated) in Missouri civil and criminal law. Missouri Revised Statute §577.010 and §577.012 define what constitutes the crime of driving under the influence and establishes the rules Missouri courts must follow to sentence and punish those convicted of a DWI, with the latter specific to driving with a BAC, or blood alcohol content, over the legal limit. If you have been arrested in Missouri for a DWI, focus on finding a DUI attorney near Dardenne Prairie, MO to fight for your freedom and help you navigate what can be an intimidating Missouri court process.

A police officer may arrest someone for a DWI in Missouri for a long list of reasons. The law prohibits driving while intoxicated — not explicitly for driving under the influence of alcohol. Though DWI arrests are often drunk driving allegations, you can also be arrested for a DWI due to allegedly operating a vehicle while under the influence of some kind of psychoactive drug.

The DWI law in Missouri criminalizes not only drinking and driving, but also driving while intoxicated by intoxicating substances or substances that impair your consciousness or motor skills. That means that a police officer can arrest you if they suspect that you are impaired, including being high as a result of marijuana or THC use or under the influence of narcotics or pharmaceuticals like opiates.

If you were arrested for driving under the influence in Missouri, contact a DUI attorney near you as soon as possible. Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is a reuptable and capable Dardenne Prairie-based DUI attorney near you, Chris Combs of Combs Waterkotte is responsive, experienced and skilled. When you need a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust, call (314) 900-HELP.

DUI Stops and Arrests in Dardenne Prairie, MO

It is critical that you know your rights lest you are stopped for operating a vehicle while under the influence. Call Combs Waterkotte at (314) 900-HELP immediately to speak to a leading Dardenne Prairie, MO DUI attorney near you and understand your rights and what to do if you are ever stopped when driving in Missouri. And if you have already gone through a traffic stop and were arrested for intoxicated driving, our unstoppable Dardenne Prairie, MO defense attorneys will shield you from injustice in court.

Become familiar with the rules and what to expect for Missouri traffic stops, sobriety tests and checkpoints.

DUI Traffic Stops in Dardenne Prairie, MO

A Missouri officer of the law must have reasonable suspicion that you are driving drunk in order to pull an individual over in Dardenne Prairie, MO. In the case of a DWI, reasonable suspicion could be represented by behaviors like like drifting out of lane, traveling the wrong way down a road and other erratic driving behaviors such as alternating extremes in speed, swerving or alternating between braking and accelerating.

A police officer must have reasonable suspicion that you were driving under the influence in order to stop you, and are required to meet the higher burden of probable cause before they can place you under arrest for a DWI.

If you believe that you were improperly stopped or arrested for your Dardenne Prairie, MO DWI, reach out to a DUI attorney near you right away. If an officer stopped you without any reasonable suspicion, even if they have proof that you were driving intoxicated, turn to a DUI attorney near you in Dardenne Prairie, MO who will help get the prosecutor to dismiss your case so you can put this behind you and be free.

Sobriety Tests for DUIs in Dardenne Prairie, MO

If a law officer stops you due to suspected drunk or drugged driving, they will want to obtain proof to show that you are under the influence. There are two types of tests Dardenne Prairie, MO police officers typically use in traffic stops for driving under the influence: field sobriety tests and chemical tests.

1. Chemical Tests (ie. a breathalizer)

   In Dardenne Prairie, MO stops for driving while intoxicated, they often turn to chemical tests to collect evidence that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the stop. Chemical tests include tests of the blood, breath, saliva or urine that are meant to identify the presence of and/or measure the concentration of substances like alcohol.

   Each state has its own laws and many, including Missouri have in place an implied consent law, via whichDardenne Prairie, MO and other Missouri drivers automatically agree to submit to chemical sobriety tests simply by getting behind the wheel. A smart DUI attorney near you will counsel you to know that you can refuse to submit to a breathalyzer or other chemical test, but refusal can carry a criminal charge in itself. Still, you cannot be physically forced to produce a sample.

   If you already did a breathalyzer test, speak to an experienced Dardenne Prairie, MO DUI attorney near you to figure out your options and get the best quality defense in your case. As your Dardenne Prairie, MO DUI attorney near you, Combs Waterkotte will investigate and scrutinize the details of your test to examine whether the breathalyzer or other test was performed as according to law and whether it should or should not be admissible in court.

2. Field Sobriety Tests

   Field tests during a DWI traffic stop are subjective tests that are designed to determine whether you are impaired through a series of demonstrative tasks. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has specified three standardized field tests that police officers can use to test drivers in Dardenne Prairie, MO and all over the United States.

   1. Walk and turn – walk heel to toe in a straight line for nine steps, turn around and repeat in the opposite direction
   2. One leg stand – lift one leg six inches above the ground and stand on the other leg for a period of time without losing balance
   3. Gaze tests – the officer holds an object and asks the driver to follow the object with their gaze as the officer moves the object

   As a Missouri driver, you have the right to refuse to perform a field test. If a police officer stops you and asks you to perform field sobriety tests, contact a DUI attorney near you in Dardenne Prairie, MO as soon as you can. If you already agreed to and performed a field test and have been arrested for a DUI in Missouri, your DUI attorney in Dardenne Prairie, MO will build an impenetrable defense to your case or make sure any illegally obtained evidence is thrown out and not used against you in Missouri court.

Traffic Checkpoints in Dardenne Prairie, MO

A checkpoint is a temporary roadblock used as a way to systematically screen drivers for driving under the influence. Federal law allows the use of DUI checkpoints by police departments, but they must meet certain standards. Lawmakers in Missouri have explored banning sobriety checkpoints, but they are currently still allowed by Missouri law.

Checkpoints in Dardenne Prairie and throughout Missouri are not as prevalent as they once were, but it is still prudent to educate yourself on your rights and the rules regulating checkpoints. When it doubt, speak to a DUI attorney near you at (314) 900-HELP.

The police must be able to justify the use and location for a sobriety checkpoint by showing that the decisions are closely related to public safety. A lawful DUI checkpoint is:

• announced to the public in advance
• sanctioned or planned by supervising law enforcement officers
• carried out in a way that is neutral to all drivers (i.e. randomly selected drivers)
• limited in time
• clearly associated with law enforcement

In addition, there must be a logical reason for implementing the checkpoint related to public safety, such as an area where a higher-than-average rate of drunk driving-related accidents has occurred.

If you are going through a checkpoint in Dardenne Prairie, MO, call (314) 900-HELP to talk to a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you immediately. Our determined Dardenne Prairie, MO attorneys will ferociously defend you and protect your rights in the court of law. Contact us online to review your situation with a kind and cunning DUI attorney near you today.

Through Combs Waterkotte, you have access to some of the best criminal defense services in the Dardenne Prairie, MO area. A Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you will protect you against the court and defend you when you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Dardenne Prairie or anywhere in Missouri. In addition, our top Dardenne Prairie, MO defense lawyers can help you with a wide range of other case types, including:

• Gun Crime Lawyer
• Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer
• Homicide Lawyer
• Assault Lawyer
• Rape Defense Lawyer
• Sex Offense Lawyers
• DWI Attorney
• Crime Defense Lawyers
• Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
• Child Pornography Defense Lawyer

Click below to learn more about different kinds of DUI charges in Missouri and what the DUI attorneys near you with Combs Waterkotte near Dardenne Prairie, MO can do to help you.

• DWI/DUI Lawyer in St. Louis
• CDL DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• DWI Accident Lawyer in St. Louis
• First Offense DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• Marijuana DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• Second Offense DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• DWI with Drugs Lawyer in St. Louis
• Felony DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• Hit and Run DWI Lawyer in St. Louis
• Other Criminal Defense Cases

Work with a Top DUI Attorney Near Me in Dardenne Prairie, MO | Combs Waterkotte

Do not waste any time. If you were stopped or arrested for driving under the influence near Dardenne Prairie, MO, find a DUI attorney near you whom you can trust. Being arrested and convicted of a DWI or similar charge in Missouri is a serious matter that can carry significant consequences. When your freedom and future are at risk a Combs Waterkotte DUI attorney near you in Dardenne Prairie, MO will defend you. Contact our Dardenne Prairie, MO defense law firm right away to consult a lawyer about your rights, your case and your future.